Contents indicator for binder covers



Sept. 16, 1958 A. F. BROOK CONTENTS INDICATOR FOR BINDER COVERS 2Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 25. 1956 'l u ,1. 0 /V m. w m m Sept. 16,1958 Filed April 25, 1956 A. F. BROOK CONTENTS INDICATOR FOR BINDERCOVERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mv L mmh l lllllllllllllllllliliiliiillllllllllilillllm I llllTHlHll lllllllll'lIHllHlllllflllllIlllllI 2%/ INVENTOR.

l www? AT5/Mah' United CONTENTS INDICATOR FOR BINDER COVERS Arthur F.Brook, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., assignor to Wire-O Corporation,Poughkeepsie, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 25,1956, Serial No. 580,525 1 claim. (o1. 281-31) The invention heredisclosed is a construction for providing a window in a binder or otherform of holder through which a title or indication of contents may beobserved or for framing a card or label for showing title, contents,ownership or the like.

Objects of the invention particularly are to afford a practical `andsatisfactory form of such construction, of low cost, readily assembled,consisting of the simplest, few parts which will not add objectionablebulk or thickness to the article and which will be ornamentalandattractive as well as highly useful.

` The desirable characteristics of plastics such as acetate for Windowpurposes are well known, but it is known that -it is difficult to securesuch materials in place by cement, particularly where there is fiexuresuch as might weaken or destroy cemented connections.

It is a further purpose of the invention to utilize transparent plasticfor window purposes and to secure the same in place by simple mechanicalconnections which will not release the plastic even under flexing orother extreme conditions.

Special `objects `of the invention also `are to provide a window andframe construction of the character and for fthe purposes indicated,which will -be useful in many different fields aside from and inaddition to such purposes as for books and binders, folders, envelopes,briefcases yand other such holders and containers.

Other desirable objects and the novel features of construction,combination vand relation of parts through which `the purposes of theinvention are attained are set forth and will appear in the course ofthe following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specificationillustrate present practical embodiments of the invention but structuremay be modified and changed as regards the immediate illustration, allwithin the true intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter definedand claimed.

Fig. 1 in the drawings is a perspective view illustrating a book orbinder having the invention incorporated therein, embodying a window andcard holding frame lbuilt into the front cover of the binder.

Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged broken vertical sectional details asappearing on lines 2-2 and 3-3 respectively of Fig. l, these viewsshowing the invention as including -both a transparent cover plate andan identifying label or card held in position beneath the cover plate.

Fig. 4 is a similar view with both cover plate and identifying card orlabel removed from the embossed window forming frame.

Fig. 5 is a broken perspective view of the invention incorporated in thebackbone of a `book or binder as a label holder.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the transparent window forming plate orcover removed from the framing structure shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged broken vertical sectional view on substantiallythe plane of line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

2 Fig. 8 is a broken horizontal sectionalview on substantially the planeof line 8-8 of Fig-5.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary enlarged front view ofthe frame structure shownin Fig. 1 illustrating the operation of slipping an identifying card orlabel'into sup-v serted into supported and secure position in back ofthe cover plate.

Fig. l2 is a fragmentary view of the inside of the cover with thetransparent cover plate interl-ocked in position thereon. f Y

Fig. 13 is a broken front elevation of the cover with cover plate`-removed and showing `the slots through which the lugs of the coverplate :are inserted.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the cover plate in position with thesecuringlugs thereon lined up 4with the holding slots of the frame shownin Fig. 13.

In Fig. l -a book or binder is illustrated having front and back covers20, 21 connected by a 4back 22. The front cover is shown :as having awin-dow opening 23 surrounded by a flat topped embossed ridge or rib 24set back from the edge `ofthe `opening to leave 1a ledge or shelf 25surrounding the opening and in this case approximately in the originalplane of the cover material.

The inner wall 26 of the embossment is shown as `oppositely slottedabove the ledge 25, at opposite ends at 27, 28 land at an intermediatepoint 29 -of the window frame opening, as in Fig. 13.

Fig. 14 shows a transparent cover plate 30 of acetate or the like, of asize to closely fit within the border of the embossed ridge 24 andequipped at opposite ends and .at .an intermediate point with laterallyextended lugs 31, 32 and 33 to enter the correspondingly located slots27, 28 and 29 in the inner sides of the frame form ing ridge.

Fig. 12 shows how these lugs extend through the inner i slotted walls ofthe embossed ridge to solidly lock the cover plate in position withinthe ridge, over the back -ledge or shelf 25 and covering the windowopening 23.v

IIn this relation the cover plate is -fully seated within the -outlineof the embossment and so does not project or add thickness to the coverand it is so firmly secured that it may flex with the cover withoutloosening or becoming detached. The cover material, while sufficientlyrigid to hold the 4lugs of ythe cover plate, is flexible enough toenable the 4bending necessary to engage the cover plate lugs in theslots of the framing embossment. Alternatively, in some instances thecover material may lbe more rigid 'and the cover plate have enoughresiliency to be bent sufficiently to engage the lugs in the holdingslots.

Fig. 4 shows the empty frame before the windowpane forming cover plateis secured therein.

Figs. 2 and 3 show the cover plate in place and also show how anidentifying card, label or the like 34 of the same approximate size -asthe transparent cover plate, but Without the lugs, may be locatedlbehind and ybe held in place by the cover plate, resting on the windowledge 25 and confined against lateral movement in any direction by thesurrounding ridge wall 26.

Figs. 9 and l0 show how this card 34, whether it be for identification,title, picture -or other purposes, may be slipped into position behindthe cover plate by forcing one end of it over the top of the ridge 24and beneath that end of the cover plate 30 so that it will slide overthe supporting ledge 25 into the final seated position, enclosed withinthe ridge, as shown in Fig. 11. Seated Patented Sept. 16, 1958l in ythisrelation it is fully secured in Vplace and will Hex with the coverwithout displacement or coming loose but may, if desired, be readilyremoved by reversal of the action described;

Fig. 5 shows the invention applied as a label holder for the backbone ofa book.

In this view the back 22 of the cover is embossed in a rectangularraised frame 24 as previously described, but in this instance only onepair of opposed slots35 is provided in the inner Wall 26 of the hollowridge, located near the upper end of the frame and the wall at the lowerend is provided with a single slot 36 to receive a cover plate or card37 shown in Fig. 6 as having laterally extended lugs 38 to enter `sideslots 35 and a lower end `lug projection 39 to enter the bottom slot 36.

Figs. 7 and 8 show how the cover plate 37 in this case also `may be usedto confine an identification or other card 40 behind i-t.

The invention is simple, inexpensive and elective and actuallyattractive and ornamental. It does not add appreciable lbulk andgenerally reinforces and strengthens rather than weakening the cover.

It may be used with vor without the inserted cards 34 and 40 and thecover plate or card 30 or 37 may be-transparent, translucent or evenopaque, as it might be if used directly as a printed card or label.

If a transparent window is not desired, it may be omitted, whereupon theembossed ridge 24 about the opening 23 may serve simply as a windowframing printling or other matter appearing on the c-ontents in'back ofthe cover.

In certain forms of the invention, such as that illustrated in Figs. 5to 8 where there is no need for cutting through a window opening such as23 in Fig. 4, the cover material may be left continuous and unbrokenfrom border to border of the hollow ridge. This is equivalent to leavingthe continuous back wall (41) connecting supporting -ledge portions atthe edges designated 25a in Figs. 7 and 8. Actually the supporting ledgeportions are present in such a construction but connected together by acontinuous unbroken wall providing a complete lbacking for the card orother element contained in the hollow framing ridge.

In all forms of the invention the cards are seated within a surroundingborder and are so held against lateral displacement. The projecting lugsor tongues on the cover cards or plates secure the parts in thisrelation. In the Fig. 5 form of the invention the projecting lug at thelower end of the card serves to positively prevent the label or othertype card in back of the cover card from slipping out of the bottom ofthe holder.

While in the drawings the mounting frame is shown formed by embossingthe cover material into a hollow upraised ridge with the securing slotsin the inner wall of the ridge, it is contemplated that generallysimilar results may be elected yby debossing or depressing a panel ofthe material and providing the card holding slots in the edges of thede'bossed material. This debossed panel could be left complete like thepanel 41 in Fig. 7 or could be cut out as 4at 23 in Fig. 4. In eitherevent, the slots 29 would be located in the surrounding wall of thedisplaced or depressed cover material,

What is `claimed is:

A contents indicator for binders and other containers comprising allexible cover of sheet material having an integral rectangularlyextending upraised embossed hollow ridge of inverted U-shaped crosssection with spaced inner and outer walls and an inwardly extendingsupporting ledge at the base of said inner wall, said inner wall of theupraised ridge having elongated narrow slots therein above and parallelwith `said `supporting ledge and a llexible rectangular card member ofthe same Outline as the interior of said upraised ridge, said cardmember being .seated on said supporting ledge and confined in positionthereon by the surrounding inner wall of the ridge and said card memberhaving elongated lugs at the opposite edges of the same projecting fromsaid outline of the card member in line with and extending through saidelongated slots in the inner wall of the ridge.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

